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Local news

Read the latest verified Local news on BetaVoices, with related events, figures, and place-driven context.

This section currently has 116 approved stories, with the latest update on Oct 30, 2026.

  1. Calgary Bow Valley College in talks to buy former central library site The college wants to convert the vacant downtown block into a health-care training centre, with students expected in September 2031 Oct 30, 2026
  2. Calgary city council Calgary council approves four years of water rate increases in 9-6 vote Rates are to rise each year from 2027 to 2030 to help pay for water infrastructure work the city puts at $6.5 billion. Final rates depend on the November budget vote Oct 30, 2026Verified
  3. Police deaths in Canada Recent police deaths raise alarm, but data shows no clear surge Five officers have died on duty in Canada so far in 2026, three in attacks, but researchers say the total remains within the historical range Jun 23, 2026

Cuba

Ramiro Valdés Menéndez, Cuban Security Power Broker, Dies at 94

Valdés was Cuba’s first Interior Ministry director and was regarded as the country’s most powerful figure after the Castro brothers

Jun 23, 2026

Housing policy

Why B.C. mayors are wary of Ottawa and Victoria’s housing plan

The $3.2-billion proposal is meant to cut costs for multi-unit projects and deal with vacant condos, but local leaders say major questions remain

Jun 23, 2026

World Cup 2026

Toronto’s World Cup slate puts African soccer culture in the spotlight

Ghana and Ivory Coast have already played in the city, Senegal is next, and the expanded 48-team tournament has widened Africa’s presence on the World Cup stage

Jun 23, 2026

Oral health

Saint John dentists see decay surge years after fluoride was cut

The city ended water fluoridation to save money more than a decade ago. Dental advocates say young children and low-income families are paying the heaviest price

Jun 23, 2026

Schools

Nova Scotia says classroom cellphone ban is reducing distractions

Nearly two school years after the provincewide policy began, the teachers’ union says schools need stronger reminders so teachers are not left enforcing the rules alone

Jun 23, 2026

World Cup 2026

England and Ghana chase World Cup knockout place in Group L

Both teams opened with wins; Opta rates England as a heavy favourite, while Ghana wait on team decisions involving Thomas Partey and Lawrence Ati-Zigi

Jun 23, 2026

How Cubans Are Living in the Dark

Lisette Poole González, a photographer for The New York Times, talks with Jack Nicas, The Times’s Mexico City bureau chief, about photographing Havana at night amid an energy crisis.

Jun 22, 2026

Ontario transparency

Ford calendar now shielded under Ontario FOI changes

A rejected access request confirmed the premier’s daily schedule is no longer available through freedom-of-information requests after amendments took effect in April

Jun 22, 2026

Police accountability

Montréal-Nord family alleges excessive force after birthday party pepper-spraying

The complaint over a backyard gathering comes as officers from the borough’s Station 39 face a separate investigation into alleged racist and hateful acts

Jun 22, 2026

World Cup

World Cup watch party highlights Mexican-Korean ties in L.A

A packed Koreatown gathering for South Korea’s match against Mexico offered a local portrait of kinship between two Los Angeles communities

Jun 19, 2026

Ticket resale complaints

World Cup and concert fans hit resale sites over cancelled tickets

Fans who bought high-demand event tickets through resale platforms say seats vanished hours before showtime, leaving them seeking refunds and answers

Jun 19, 2026

Alberta separation debate

Smith aide tells First Nations chiefs to fix own communities, not accuse premier of treason

Bruce McAllister’s post escalates a fight over Alberta’s Oct. 19 separation referendum after treaty chiefs asked RCMP to examine whether the vote amounts to criminal treason

Jun 19, 2026

Rural Ontario crash

Five children from one family killed in rural Ontario crash

The children, ages four to 12, died in a two-vehicle collision near Mapleton Township that also left several people seriously injured

Jun 15, 2026

Long-delayed cleanup

St. Mary’s is set to clear 110 vats of abandoned fish sauce waste

The Newfoundland town’s 25-year problem is expected to take roughly 200 dump-truck loads, a $1.74-million cleanup contract and a landfill 160 kilometres away

Jun 15, 2026

Public safety

N.L. reviewing shelved law aimed at problem properties

The Safer Communities and Neighbourhoods Act passed in 2007 but was never brought into force. The province says a comprehensive review is underway

Jun 11, 2026

World Cup business

World Cup marketing rush tests businesses in Toronto and Vancouver

Restaurants, hotels and major brands are spending on watch parties, fan zones and special menus, but the sales payoff may be uneven and short-lived

Jun 11, 2026

MLB milestone

Max Scherzer reaches 3,500 strikeouts in Blue Jays return

The Toronto right-hander became the 11th pitcher to hit the mark, but his first start since April 24 ended in a 7-4 loss to Philadelphia

Jun 11, 2026

Consumer accountability

Manitoba pool builder facing fraud charges is selling under new name

Kurt Wittin, whose past pool businesses are tied to 26 fraud charges, is marketing shipping-container pools through Capitol Manufacturing as “Kurt Martin,” CBC reports

Jun 11, 2026

Library funding

Nova Scotia libraries lean harder on fundraising as costs climb

Some regional systems are raising 10 per cent or more of their operating budgets as stagnant provincial funding and rising expenses strain services

Jun 10, 2026

Food safety

Calgary family finds black widow spider in bag of grapes

An Olds College entomologist confirmed the spider from photos and says finds in imported produce are becoming more common as growers reduce pesticide use

Jun 10, 2026

Ottawa drug services

Ottawa’s last supervised drug consumption sites set to close

The final two sites are expected to stop supervised consumption services this week as Ontario funding ends, raising warnings about overdoses and public drug use

Jun 10, 2026

Books

Chrystia Freeland to publish book on Canada-U.S. relations

Unreliable Boyfriend, due Oct. 13 from Simon & Schuster Canada, draws on Freeland’s years in journalism and federal politics

Jun 10, 2026

CTE ruins lives but can’t be confirmed until you’re dead. Canadian scientists are trying to change that

Former soldier Brendan Hynes thinks he has CTE, but the devastating brain disease can’t be confirmed until after someone’s dead. Could cutting-edge Canadian research be the solution?

Jun 10, 2026

Manitoba energy

Manitoba explored AI data centre and private funding for Conawapa dam

Documents obtained by CBC News show talks with Rothschild & Co. advisers as Premier Wab Kinew now backs away from hyperscale data centres but keeps the Nelson River dam option alive

Jun 10, 2026

Tropical Storm Boris Drenches Mexico’s Pacific Coast

A busy hurricane season is underway in the Pacific.

Jun 9, 2026

Personal ties

Pope Leo’s longtime friend in Spain points to a quieter side of his life

A New York Times account describes Armando Jesús Lovera as one of the pope’s close friends, with a bond built over decades, road trips, World Cup games and conversations about cars

Jun 9, 2026

Cape Breton sports history

North Sydney’s ‘Flash’ Hollett enters Cape Breton Sport Hall of Fame

The NHL defenceman, a two-time Stanley Cup winner and early offensive standout, was inducted decades after leaving Cape Breton as a child

Jun 9, 2026

Urban cycling

Seattle, Montreal and Atlanta Featured in North American Biking Guide

A New York Times travel guide points riders toward five North American cities with scenic routes near waterways, parks and protected urban lanes

Jun 9, 2026

Quebec legislature

Quebec faces final-week scramble over constitution, energy drinks and electoral map

With the National Assembly set to rise June 12, the CAQ government has 19 bills on the order paper in its last session before the Oct. 5 election

Jun 8, 2026

Fraud prevention

How scammers use fear and trust to push victims into fraud

Toronto police say reported losses are climbing sharply, while experts warn the pressure tactics behind many scams remain familiar

Jun 8, 2026

Wildfire recovery

Denare Beach marks one year since Wolf Fire as rebuilding continues

Residents of the northern Saskatchewan village are gathering at Amisk Lake after a fire that destroyed more than 200 homes and left some families still displaced

Jun 2, 2026

NHL

Manny Malhotra named Vancouver Canucks head coach

The former Canucks player takes over as Vancouver’s 23rd head coach after leading Abbotsford to a Calder Cup title in 2024-25

Jun 2, 2026

Agriculture and mental health

Women farmers face heavier mental-health strain, Guelph study finds

University of Guelph researchers say visible and invisible workloads, family expectations and feeling undervalued are adding pressure for women in agriculture

Jun 2, 2026

Workplace violence

N.S. school worker stabbed by student says support fight continues

Angela Light, injured at Charles P. Allen High School in 2023, told CBC News she remains unable to work while navigating compensation, treatment and accommodation disputes

Jun 2, 2026

Coroner’s inquest

Family seeks accountability as inquest opens into Kevin Mamakwa’s death in custody

The 27-year-old Kingfisher Lake First Nation member died at the Thunder Bay Jail in 2020. Jurors are expected to hear from about 15 witnesses over nine days

Jun 2, 2026

Court delays

MADD pushes roadside penalties after N.L. impaired cases fall to delays

CBC News identified four impaired-driving cases in Newfoundland and Labrador in the past 18 months that ended because of trial-delay issues under R v. Jordan

May 29, 2026